NIGGER DAY

It appears that another white celebrity has stepped in some “dog doo-doo” (I crack myself up sometimes…lol), over using the N-word during a tirade. Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman got caught making offensive remarks on an audio taped phone conversation he was having with his son, who is dating a Black woman. Below is a part of the transcript:

“I don’t care if she’s a Mexican, a whore or whatever. It’s not because she’s black, it’s because we use the word nigger sometimes here. I’m not gonna take a chance ever in life of losing everything I’ve worked for for 30 years because some fucking nigger heard us say nigger and turned us in to the Enquirer magazine. Our career is over! I’m not taking that chance at all! Never in life! Never! Never! If Lyssa [Dog’s daughter] was dating a nigger, we would all say ‘fuck you!’ And you know that. If Lyssa brought a black guy home ya da da… it’s not that they’re black, it’s none of that. It’s that we use the word nigger. We don’t mean you fucking scum nigger without a soul. We don’t mean that shit. But America would think we mean that. And we’re not taking a chance on losing everything we got over a racial slur because our son goes with a girl like that. I can’t do that Tucker. You can’t expect Gary, Bonnie, Cecily, all them young kids to [garbled] because ‘I’m in love for 7 months’ – fuck that! So, I’ll help you get another job but you can not work here unless you break up with her and she’s out of your life. I can’t handle that shit. I got ’em in the parking lot trying to record us. I got that girl saying she’s gonna wear a recorder…”

Now for the obvious. Duane issued an apology, stated that he is not a racist, proclaimed his love and respect for Black people, met with is spiritual adviser Rev. Tim Storey (who he was quick to point out is Black), and contacted the Rev. Al Sharp[tongue] to “make things right again”. A&E network has also suspended the show for the foreseeable future season and hopes that Duane continues the “healing process” that he has begun.

I started thinking about this whole ordeal and I came to the conclusion that Duane is playing this all wrong. I think he would have been much better served if he had contacted Nas, who is about to release an album entitled “Nigger”on December 11th. Nas states: “Right now, we’re on a whole new movement. We’re taking power [away] from that word.” Duane could have then claimed that he is now committed to this “new movement” and is in collaboration with the rapper to take power away from the N-word. He and Michael Richards (Kramer from the t.v. show Seinfeld), could then go on tour with Nas after he drops his new CD. They can dub it: “Save the N-word Tour“. Paris Hilton, who also had her own “nigger” moment, could also jump on board. She claims to be seeking to do something meaningful with her life after her stint in jail. Duane, Mikey and Paris could be the opening acts and start the show off by reprising their “nigger” laced tirades.

I then began to brainstorm (which is not necessarily a good thing) what else this “new movement” by Nas, Duane, Mikey and Paris could do to take the power away from the N-word. Then it hit me… it was an epiphany…. an enlightenment! Why not start a petition to lobby the government…. no…. lobby the United Nations to declare a “NIGGER DAY”!? Let’s have one day, every year, right around the world…. let’s say…. March 1st…. right after Black History Month…. when we can call each other “nigger” without any repercussions. Regardless if you are black, white, yellow, red or brown, male or female, young or old….. on NIGGER DAY we can all call each other “nigger” or use it anyway we like in a sentence or conversation. Politicians, religious leaders, celebrities, media personalities, comedians, business leaders, scientists, professors, Nobel laureates…. right down to your boss, co-workers, your landlord, cab drivers etc., would be free to unburden themselves and say what is really on their mind with no fear of reprisal for that one day.

Think of it…. if we had a NIGGER DAY, then Duane could have waited until that day to go into his tirade and there would be no problem. I could show up at work in the morning and greet my boss (who is white) with “Good Morning nigger” and he could shake my hand and pat me on the head and respond truthfully, without any apprehension: “No you’re my nigger…. in fact you’re the only nigger here“. Then we can all have a good laugh and slap each other on the back as we go get coffee. That person at work, church, school, etc., who you just don’t like or maybe you do like, well you can “nigger” them all day long… for a whole 24 hours! Over time, after a few years, we’ll all get “niggered” out and the word won’t be a big deal anymore…. the power will truly be taken away from that word.

This “new movement” of Nas, Duane, Mikey and Paris can lead us to that glorious day, NIGGER DAY, that Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., dreamed about and died for. That day when we let the freedom to use the word “Nigger” anytime and anywhere ring. When we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the new Negro spirituals: “nigga dis, nigga dat; nigga you and nigga me; u mah nigga; die nigga die; nigga, nigga, nigga”!!!

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About asabagna

I go by the name of Asabagna Alatentou, "Asa" for short. I took this name as my African/Spiritual name when I went on a pilgrimage to West Africa in 1997. I visited Senegal, The Gambia and Ghana. "Asabagna" means "hunter" and I received that name during a naming ceremony when I visited a village in northern Ghana. "Alatentou" is Mandingo for "God is gracious" and I received that name from a village Griot in Senegal. I was born in England and my parents are of Jamaican heritage. I spent most of my formative years in Jamaica, but grew up primarily in Toronto Canada. I currently live in Ottawa, the national capital of Canada. I am professionally employed, married, 2 wonderful kids and regularly attend a Pentecostal church. I am a born-again Christian. I do not consider myself conservative or liberal, right-wing or left-wing, centrist etc., or any of the multiple categories that society likes to confine and define people by. However, I do have strong views, beliefs and opinions but I also consider myself open to listening and contemplating other viewpoints. I am a firm believer that "if you don't believe in something, you will fall for anything".

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15 thoughts on “NIGGER DAY”

Good post. I’ve always found the idea that using nigger robs it of its power (which started in liberal academia but has since spread into the common lexicon) utterly bankrupt. Imagine one of these people was walking down the street and a white man drove up to them and said, “Hey nigger! How do I get to the expressway?” Would they answer, “No problem sir. Two lights down and turn left?” Does anyone really think that?

I am not concerned or interested when White folks or anybody other than Black people call us N’s. I am always stunned when we are so free and willing to use it with and against each other. We are so quick to jump anybody White or Others who dare use the word–remember how J-lo caught hell for using N in her little song. But yet here comes NAS with an album called N. And where are the protests, outrage and shame in that. Because he is Black he gets to use it and make money off it. This word HURTS. It HURT yesterday, it HURTS today and I suspect it will HURT tomorrow. We like anyone else deserves to have a word that crosses the boundaries, that sets off our alarm that trouble is coming. N does this. N lets us know that trouble is brewing on the horizon. If we allow this word to become as acceptable as saying hello, then we have lost and we look like fools and those that have came before us–those that have paid with their lives will know they have died for our right to call ourselves NIGGERS. And the world can continue to kick us to the curb. This is beyond how we feel in America, this is about what will be acceptable around the world for US.

I for one am glad for people like Dog The Bounty Hunter. I think an episode like this is exactly what black people need to see every now and again. Let’s get the racists up front and center. Don’t cancel this guy’s show, don’t try to hide the racists from our view. This kind of casual racism in America is unlikely to change anytime soon. Stories like this one and the nooses popping up everywhere will do well to serve as reminders that the integration and acceptance that we thought we had in America is just an illusion. I am in no way shape or form supportive of any initiative to do away with the word “nigger”. The word is just too powerful and too representative of the racial bias that is sown into America’s fabric. I don’t think we can afford to forget it. Any argument for or against use of the ugliest word in the English language is far too complex to break down in a few sentences. However, if we are trying to destroy the stigma that the word “nigger” attaches to us, then allowing that word to penetrate us when used by other races and at the same time using it to describe ourselves is certainly making us look as though we are bringing up the rear intellectually.

So I think that the whole nigger day concept is a bit whack. Why should we allow everyone to go around calling us niggers? It has a strong meaning behind it. I see what you mean in trying to take the power out of it but I don’t see this as a way to fix this problem. Allowing white people to go around and say, ‘hey what’s up nigger’ seems pretty ridiculous. I’m not a slave and that is exactly what they used to call blacks back in the day in a very disrespectful way. That’s just a couple reasons why I feel that that wouldn’t be a very good thing.

I’m sorry, but have you folks not heard of the old saying “sticks & stones may break bones but words will never hurt”?! Well being a American with black hair, eyes & skin it only hurts when someone not black calls me nigger & they really mean “you dirty, dark porch monkey coon” Nowadays a lot of people think it’s cute to say nigger aloud in public. Also, why do people think that it’s okay for black people to say nigger & nobody else? Nigger literally means an ignorant person, but we all know that back in the day in the US, especially the south that white folks degraded blacks by calling them nigger & not allowing them to ride in the front of the bus, sit down at the cafe to eat or enter public buildings in the main front entrance. Do we not remember the water fountains labeled WHITES ONLY?

Nigger is a powerful word, only if you let it get to you. Once upon a time people thought it was acceptable to beat the sh!t out of some white man because he called a black man a nigger & the sad thing is that some people still think physically assaulting someone for verbally abusing you is acceptable. Whatever happened to “2 wrongs don’t make a right”? I have friends of all colors who claim that they will kick a white boys’ a$$ if he ever utters the N-word & means it. I guess it just all in the way the word is used, if the person is trying to hurt your feelings or what not.

Nigger is ONLY a word, in order to prove to that ignorant person that you are no one’s nigger, you should IGNORE IT & go about your business as if nothing happened. Or do we want the Big Brother government to start charging people with thought hate crimes because they said the word nigger?!? I’m calling the police because he called me nigger-BOO HOO HOO!

This whole issue has worn me low mentally! I believe that it is way past due time to resolve this issue.

I refuse to trip about anymore high profile N-Word Users. If people want to believe that white people don’t use that word frequently and with serious racial implications-so be it. It has never been a compliment. Not even when we use it.

Nas tried to compare his CD to Dick Gregory’s Book Nigger.
I read it years ago. I am not sure if he can get that off like Gregory did. I never had the impression that Gregory was using that word as a compliment. Nor did it take away the harsh reality of racism.

To me, this is just one more damn diversion away from what needs to be dealt with by black America. Perhaps we need to set up a NWord Chat Room, for those who are still uncertain about how they feel about the word. Also for those who want to use the word-regardless of race. That way they can stay busy will tripe, while black folks get on with the business at hand.

thanks for the insightful. started to watch the documentary, “The N-Word Divided We Stand” and could not keep it on for more than 15 minutes. These justifications for the use of the word are ridiculous….did we forget so easily what it meant and the sacrifices that were made in order to get rid of it….and thanks for the boycott BET graphic on the side

I agree with you. I am a Black Central American and no explanation for black people using the ” N” word makes sense. Ironically Black people all over the world were called derogatory , racist and some version of the” N” word, in whatever native languagre they speak. There is a version in the Spanish language and Afro Latinos do not use it. None of the other Black folks have took it upon themselves to use those hateful, insulting words against themselves, the way my African American brothers and sisrters do. Hello, Is anybody listening? It is offensive, foolish, and ignorant. It is about time to end the blatant self hatred, bury this blasted, hateful word and leave it in the museum of past history.

The people suffer for a lack of knowledge. The people will always suffer because we have not realized our true essence as human being made in the image of God. The source of that image has no color it is pure energy. All people are created
from energy and all people shall return to this energy. Because all don’t have of practice this truth; we have the
ignorance so paramount on this plant. All people on this planet are ignorant of truth. Not a christian truth or Muslim truth or Buddhist truth , but the simple reality that the breath
of life is a gift and should be nutured and respect. The breath of life gives to all freely without bias or conditions. It is we humans who don’t get it and as a result these so call problem and issues are man made. Why do we pray to God so passionately to change the mess that we humans have made.
Did not the creator give us the intelligence to create so made useful things. Why do we choose ignorance over enlightenment. The very people who profess to Love Jesus or Muhammad or the same people bring death and destruction
to mankind. Blacks America need a serious wake up call.
While give to much energy to the past. Slavery happened it
is history, you can not change it. But we have not learn the underlying message of our ancestors. Unite, love each,lift each other up. They did so much with so little. We get caught
in the emotional vortex of ” they don’t love or respect us”.
Well when you love and respect yourself not only will the
world embrace you all life in it’s deepest aspect will embrace you. But we neither love or respect ourselves, because of that
we stand still and don’t progress. We need to stop asking the
goverment or anyone else for a solution. We need to look squarely at ourselves and realize we can not afford to stay
ignorant forever. If we cherish ignorance so much we will cease to exist as a people. For that we only have ourselves to
blame. Stop making excuses and embrace the power within\you.

The article is interesting. This Dog the hunter was so worried about this Black female destroying the Hunter’s reputation that he didn’t see that his own son would expose his true identity into the media. Watering down a harsh word that has been used to define us negatively might be a good thing. But deep inside, my black pride couldn’t allow myself to participate in such ignorance. Hence, we consent the okay for Europeans to use the word every time will feel compile to identify ourselves with this misrepresentation word “Nigger, Nigga, or Niggah.” Many of us have educated ourselves on our heritage, which makes such a word offense to our ears. True, people have the right to say what they want since it’s their mouth; thus, they also have the right to free education and should take full advantage of it. However, if the icons of the black community enforce independent thinking and education, then I’m positive that such words will surely cease to exist. Europeans have utilized our icon brothers in sports, music, movies, fashion, to promote their items and languages. And like fools, we tend to run off and buy in to them. If we really want, “Nas states: “Right now, we’re on a whole new movement. We’re taking power [away] from that word.” Then we need to eliminate the word altogether. Today’s generation does nothing but follow as mine did too. Just think what can happen if our icons who influences our foundation changes their view point on the word Nigga or Nigger. European Psychology have been very prominent within the black community as they made sure we stay mentally divided, culturally immature, but yet dependentable on them. It took time, years, teamwork, and planning, to destroy a nation, a Black nation. It will take that same method to destroy a harsh word.

In the older dictionaries the word NIGGER didn’t mean African descent. It was defined…

NIGGER: A stupid and ignorant person :a person of ignorance.

I just looked it up…Wow! Totally different definition than my 1984 dictionary.

The term “nigger” has taken on pejorative qualities, as it implies not only darkness of skin, but a general lack of intelligence and sophistication. At the time of the word’s origin, various English-speaking North American settlers who set cultural standards considered black people fundamentally inferior and less civilized than white people. The term is generally considered offensive to our people, not only because it singles them out on the basis of their skin colour, but also because, due to its origin, it carries connotations of slavery, inferiority and oppression.

If the word NIGGER only means according to your definition: a person of African descent or a black person, then why are you so upset about being called NIGGER?

I mean it is what it is… right? Why would you be upset if someone called you what you are a NIGGER according to you and the new definition that’s being printed in these modern dictionaries. Do you honestly think our forefathers were just offended because of how the word was used although the definition was as you say? Well you are absolutely wrong!

The true definition of the word NIGGER. Which is in my 1984(also my 1990) dictionary is defined… NIGGER: A stupid and ignorant person; a person of ignorance.

It says nothing about African Americans, black or anything else, it has no relations to us like these newer dictionaries I looked up online. Obviously, they changed the definition for this new generation. The original definition of the word is the reason our people were so outraged about being called the word NIGGER in the first place. Do you think they were angry just because white folks called us NIGGERS and it had the same definition as the dictionaries today? That wouldn’t even make any sense at all.

White folks starting calling us NIGGERS way back then to degrade us, they did it so long that Amerikka adopted the word and actually legally LABELED us the word by changing the original definition. If you don’t buy that, then go and ask one of your much older relatives, “What’s the definition of a NIGGER?” I bet they will tell you the same thing.

Another thing you should think about is white folks still call us NIGGERS to this day, just ’cause you might not hear them doesn’t mean the word faded away. They know the real meaning behind the word.

“Sorry, banning words you don’t approve of is infantile at best and fascist at its worst. Forbidding the use of a word usually only gives it more “POWER”. Besides, racism is a complex cultural and historical issue that goes far beyond a two syllable word.”

The article was entertaining, some of the responses didn’t exactly get that. As for the N-word, I spose it hurts worse than unemployment, prison, crack, alcoholism, and sell-out preachers and politicians. After all, that’s where niggers have been waging their biggest battles over the past 15 years.

My name is Dani Atkins and I am one of 4 surviving children of Ronald Edward Atkins and Clancyna Marie Atkins. On January 26, 2008 my father was killed in a tragic car accident that took place only 2 minutes away from my home. My parents had been married for 30 years at the time of the accident without separation. As I have been assisting my mother with putting together various lawsuits and claims against several different persons, insurance companies, and even the Los Angeles Police Department regarding several acts of negligence and dishonor surrounding my fathers death, I have come across a disturbing piece of information that I, being a 24 year old African American person am appauled. My father having been born on April 9, 1955, has a birth certificate that identifies his color and race as being “NEGRO.” My grandmother, Eloise Marie Harrison having been born on April 4, 1933 has a birth certificate that identifies her color and race as being “NEGRO”. My mother, who is still alive, Clancyna Marie Atkins born on September 4, 1956 has a birth certificate that identifies her color and race as being “NEGRO” as well. And I am quite sure there are thousands if not milliions of other African American people dead or alive who have been identified on paper at birth as being “NEGRO” I am absolutely disgusted that the United States of America even in 2009 have not made an attempt to make right this defamation of character in administering all new birth certificates to those who have died as well as those still living to identify these HUMAN PEOPLE with dignity and respect. I am passionately committed to make my fathers name wholly reflect the honorable father, husband, and man that he was and the fact that his life was not even given an opportunity to start before he was branded on United States of America paper as being a “NEGRO” is a disgrace and a shame on America.